Chapter One
Ava
The crystal swung from the end of the silver chain in my hand, hovering over the map as it moved in circles that never grew smaller. There was no gradual slowing of the motion, no indication that the spell was working.
“Fuck,” I muttered beneath my breath, letting the crystal fall onto the map.
Rhiannon Temple, powerful dark witch and all around bitch, had vanished from the face of the earth.
Three months ago, she appeared without warning, threatening everything I held dear. She kidnapped my best friend, Savannah, and used her as leverage against Rhys, the man who loved her. Oh, and she tried to kill me.
Yeah, she was definitely a piece of work.
Then she disappeared without a trace. No spell, no amount of scrying, could track her. And I wasn’t exactly weak. I had yet to meet another witch with the same touch of the Goddess. For whatever reason, I’d been blessed beyond measure.
Yet even with this power, Rhiannon eluded me and it was pissing me off.
With a sigh, I put away the crystal and the map. The mirror I attempted to use in scrying earlier joined them in my desk drawer. The spelled glass gleamed with inner light as I shut the door, taunting me with my inability to see what I wanted to see. I leaned back in my office chair and pondered my options.
Rhiannon Temple couldn’t be left to wreak havoc on the unsuspecting people of the world. Nor could I let her go unpunished for her crimes against me and the people I loved. There had to be a way I could get around her cloaking spell or whatever power she was using to hide.
Inevitably, my thoughts turned to Macgrath. When Rhiannon appeared in my life, so had he. He was her servant. Or he had been until he betrayed her to protect my best friend, Savannah.
Even though Savannah had forgiven the tall, mysterious vampire, I had not. I couldn’t. If I softened my attitude toward him in any way, then I would have to deal with my third problem—the fact that I found him insanely attractive.
As though my wandering thoughts had summoned him, I felt the small, firm tug on my subconscious that accompanied his proximity. Any time he was near, his presence seemed to resonate like a deep vibration that only affected me.
Heaving an agitated sigh, I got to my feet. This was the third time this week he’d shown up at my coffee shop, The Magic Bean. Over the past few months, he appeared without warning in close proximity to wherever I was. The coffee shop, my house, even my favorite haunts. He never approached me or anyone else, never came inside, but I could feel him all the same.
What was he doing? Spying for Rhiannon? Protecting me from her?
I scoffed at my thoughts. No, whatever Macgrath was doing, it couldn’t be for protection. Why would he?
Don’t lie to yourself. He feels you too.
I ignored the little voice that whispered in the back of my mind. Now wasn’t the time to overthink. No matter what I suspected about Macgrath’s presence, or felt for him, my focus needed to be on finding Rhiannon and neutralizing her.
When I pushed through the doors that separated the back of the shop from the front, Savannah’s head twisted toward me and she grinned.
“You have that look,” she commented.
“What look?” I asked.
“The vampire look. I’m guessing he’s hanging out down the street again.”
I blinked at her. I hadn’t mentioned Macgrath’s actions to her at all. In fact, I’d gone to great pains to hide what he was doing and how it affected me.
Savannah laughed lightly. “The expression on your face is priceless.”
“How did you know?”
Still smiling, she went back to cleaning the espresso machine. “Your aura changes when he’s around.” Her eyes flicked back to me, the dark depths sparkling with mischief. “There’s more pink.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s not an answer.”
She averted her eyes and sighed. “Okay, fine. It’s not just your aura. It’s your emotions. Usually, you keep yourself locked down. I can’t feel more than a few echoes from you. But when Macgrath is near, you broadcast your feelings much more clearly. Almost like a normal human.” When her gaze skated back to me, she winced. “I’m sorry. I try to block you out, I really do, but sometimes I can’t.”
I wiped my expression clean. I wasn’t upset that she could sense my emotions, just surprised in addiction to being irritated that I had so little control where Macgrath was concerned. “It’s okay, Savannah,” I replied.
She glanced at me again. “I really am sorry.”
“I’m not upset with you, sweetie,” I stated again. “If you stop feeling so guilty for a second, you’ll be able to sense it yourself. I’m just…a little upset that my control isn’t what it should be.”
Her dark eyes locked on me, suddenly intent and strong. “You’re allowed to be vulnerable sometimes, Ava Amaris. I know that everyone, including me, sees you as superhuman, but it’s okay that you’re not. No one is strong all of the time.”
Though she was right, I didn’t have to like it. When I grumbled something to that effect beneath my breath, her face lightened and she laughed.
“What was that?”
“Stay out of my brain!” I barked, only half serious.
After ten years, Savannah knew that I wasn’t sincerely angry and her laughter grew louder.
The bell over the door chimed and we both turned to greet the customer. Only it wasn’t a customer, it was Harrison, the new manager I’d hired a couple of months ago.
The warmth drained from Savannah’s face, though she still smiled at him. “Hi, Harrison.”
He nodded toward her. “Good afternoon, Savannah.”
“Hey, Harrison. How are you today?”
“I’m well.”
Without another word, he went around the counter and set about washing his hands. Savannah looked at me and widened her eyes. I stifled a sigh. For some reason she didn’t like Harrison. I hadn’t yet talked to her about it, but since Harrison was early for his shift, I decided that now was the perfect time. I might as well take advantage of his punctuality and have a chat with Savannah to see what was bothering her about the new manager.
“Harrison, I know it’s ten minutes before your shift, but do you mind clocking in early? I need to speak to Savannah privately.”
“No problem,” he replied, his tone utterly neutral. He immediately moved to the computer to clock in.
Savannah’s eyes grew even wider as I gestured for her to follow me back through the storage area to my office. She loosened the strings on her apron and hung the garment up before scurrying around the counter.
Once we were in the privacy of my office, I closed the door, pressed my palm to it, and muttered a single word. All the windows and exterior doors were spelled to make it impossible for anyone outside to eavesdrop. I’d also drawn wards on all of the interior doors, though I rarely activated them. However, since Harrison was a wolf shifter, I knew he would be able to hear our conversation, even with all the walls between us. Once I felt the incantation click into place, I turned toward my friend.
Savannah sat rigidly in the seat, her fingers laced together.
“You look like I’m about to whip you,” I stated, leaning back against the door and crossing my arms over my chest.
She huffed and relaxed a bit, unwinding her fingers.
I studied her for a moment before asking, “What’s going on, Savannah? Why do you dislike Harrison so much?” When she tensed again, I waved a hand. “Please don’t get defensive. I’m just trying to understand what’s going on. Has he said or done something to make you uncomfortable? Because if he has, you know I’ll fire him and hex his ass.”
Savannah relaxed again, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “No, it’s not that. He hasn’t said anything or done anything to me. He’s perfectly polite. It’s just…” She trailed off, staring down at her hands.
“Just what?” I prompted softly.
“I don’t want you to be angry with me,” she whispered.
I moved over to her and sat on the small stool next to her chair. “I can’t promise I won’t be upset, but I can promise I won’t yell or throw a fit.”
“I might have,” she paused and swallowed hard. “I might have probed his emotions a little. Without asking him if it was okay.”
I understood why she was worried I would be upset because I always told her never to use her abilities on others without their permission. However, after what happened with Rhiannon and Macgrath, I couldn’t blame her for being wary. I also couldn’t be angry because I might have done something similar myself. Okay, so I did do something similar, and without the same sense of guilt she seemed to carry.
“It’s okay, Savannah. I don’t blame you for wanting to be sure he was being honest, but you also can’t hold his private emotions against him. Especially when you were basically eavesdropping.”
She shook her head, her jaw tight. “That’s not why,” she argued. “I couldn’t feel anything at all. He’s a complete null, but I don’t think it’s because of his mental shields. People with good mental shields still slip up from time to time. However he’s hiding his emotions, it’s magical and I think intentional.”
I frowned at her. I thought I understood what she was saying, but I wasn’t certain. “What do you mean, intentional?”
Savannah took a deep breath before answering. “I think he’s hiding something. I think he knew I was an empath before he even applied for the job and he took steps to protect himself. Magical steps.”
“I know he’s hiding something,” I replied.
My response seemed to take Savannah by surprise. “You know he’s hiding something?” she repeated. “You’ve known all along?”
I nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you,” I apologized. “I didn’t want to bring it to your attention if you didn’t notice it yourself.” I paused, looking for the best way to share the information without violating Harrison’s privacy. I’d violated it enough when I used magic to vet him before hiring him. What I’d learned, well, it wasn’t a danger to Savannah or me. It was a sad story, but it also wasn’t my story to tell. “Harrison hasn’t had it easy and he’s experienced a lot of pain in his life. The magic he’s using, it’s not malicious. It’s his attempt at keeping a modicum of privacy.”
The suspicion on Savannah’s face faded. “You know why he’s using magical protection?”
I nodded. “I do, but it wouldn’t be right for me to share that information with you. I know you hate invading another person’s private feelings, so I know how badly this bothers you. But I can promise you that Harrison means neither of us any harm.”
“All right,” she relented. “If you say there’s no reason for me to worry, then I won’t.”
I reached out and squeezed her hand. “Just try to give him a chance, okay? If anyone needs a second chance in life, it’s Harrison Morris.”
Savannah studied me for a long moment, her dark eyes probing. Then she nodded. “I’ll keep an open mind.”
“Thank you. Now, go home. I do believe your handsome fiancé is waiting for you.”
She smiled at me and got to her feet. “See you tomorrow.”
I returned her smile and waited until she left my office before I allowed it to fade. I knew what it was like to gather up the tattered remains of a life and begin anew with nothing but hope to guide you.